Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128609
FriedInan Zooms to Husky C'ships Title Bv DON INHOUSE CARLSBAD,CA,MAR.25 M otorsports photographer and selfavowed international motocross fanatic Mitch Friedman lived the dream of becoming a World Motocross Champion at age 39 by winning the title for his beloved Husqvarna marque at Carlsbad Raceway, the home of many a great U.S. GP motocross classic, and in a manner that added his name to a distinguished list of the greatest Carlsbad battles. In the future, bairds of Carlsbad lore will reminisce about the good old days of Lackey vs. Mikkola, Sun vs. Malherbe, Friedman vs. Stidman. Well, okay, so Friedman won the SVRG Husqvarna World Championship. In the Novice class. Aboard a 1982 Husky 430CR. And they weren't even running on the U.S. GP course. But hey, the event was the third round of the SVRG New Millennium Series, and it did draw over 100 entries for the program, including the all-important HU5qvarna World Championships. And the racing was as intense as if the contestants were battling for an FIM gold medal. This was especially true in the Pre1984 Novice classes, where Friedman and his 1982 Husky 430CR battled tooth-and-nail with Husky WR-mounted Pat Stidman. The pair lined up with the rest of the class for the first moto of the Pre1984 Novice World Championship class, and Stidman promptly blasted to the holeshot, while Friedman was left to battle back from a last-place start. Friedman quickly began to pass his way toward the front, and he eventually lined up on Stidman's rear wheel, but Stidman was able to hold him off for the moto win. Later in the day, it was Friedman's turn, as the first of two regular Novice motos took to the track. Friedman figured out the rubber-band starter that was being used to begin the races, and he promptly motored into the lead from the get-go. Stidman gave chase, but Friedman remained in control right up till the last lap, when his bike sputtered a bit. "I heard it cutting out, so I reached down and turned on the reserve, and that cleared it up," Friedman said. "But just as it started coming back to life, he [Stidman] passed me. Fortunately, I passed him back just before the finish line." Score one win for Friedman. In the crucial second Pre-1984 Novice World Championship moto, 40+ EX: I. Ed Zornes (Yam); 2. Dwayne Scrivnor (Hus). 40. INT: I. Lee Holth (Cl); 2. Gary Egloff (Hus); 3. Benny Chien; 4. Parker Foster (CI); 5. Steve no other World Champion ever has. McClean (Hus). 40. NOV: I. R. Kimball (Cl); 2. Mike Sipe (Cl); "It was Monday, so I went back to 3. Tom Hauser (Mai): 4. Jeff Hauser (Mai): 5. Mike Utaki (Hon). work," Friedman said. PRE·1972 125 EX: 1. Charlie Richardson (CZ): 2. Ron Renzulli (CI); 3. Tom Barnett (Pen): 4. John In other World Championship racLeFevre (Hus). ing action at Carlsbad, Vintage HusqPRE-1972 INT: I. Gene Fetty (Hus). WMN: I. Peggy Zornes (Yam). varna owner John LeFevre practically PRE·1968 NOV: I. Gene LOQuercio (Hus). PRE-19G8 INT: 1. Gary Egloff (Hus). abandoned all sense of shame by PRE-1975 500 EX: I. Tim Nash (Hus); 2. Ed Zornes (Yam); 3. Dwayne Scrivnor (Hus). PRE-I975 500 INT: 1. D. Bennett; 2. Steve McClean (Hus); 3. Gary Egloff (Hus); 4. Jeff Carver (Cl). PRE-1975 250 EX: I. Charlie Richardson (CI); 2. Dwayne Scrivnor (Hus). PRE-1975 250 INT: I. Gary Egloff (Hus). PRE-1975 250 NOV; 1. Rick Shelby (Cl); 2. Roy Kaminske (Hon); 3. Jeremy Felder (Hus); 4. Ron Connors (Hus). PRE-I978 EX: 1. Rick Doughty (Mai); 2. Mike Owens (Hus). PRE- 1978 INT: 1. Harry Backer (Suz). EVa 3 EX: I. Don Ruffin (Suz). EVO 3 INT: 1. Tom Engelhardt (Yam); 2. Parker Foster (Cl). EVO 3 NOV: 1. M;ke Tolle. 30+ EX: I. Dwayne Scrivnor (Hus). 30+ INT: 1. Gary Egloff (Hus). 30+ NOV: I. Brian Backer (Suz); 2. Ray Kaminski (Hon). 50+ EX: 1. Dennis Middleton (Cl). 50+ INT: 1. Benny Chien. 50. NOV: I. Tom Hauser (Mai). EVa 2 EX: 1. Vic Balch (Hus); Tim Nash (Mai): 3. Don Ruffin (SUI): 4. Tory Norril (Hus). EVO 2 INT: 1. Steve Gordon (Mai); 2. Harry Backer (Suz): 3. Tom Englehardt (Vam); 4. Stan Speck (Mai); 5. Charles Hilton. EVO 2 NOV: 1. Pat Stidman (Hus): 2. Mitch Friedman (Hus); 3. Gary McCredie (Hus); 4. R. Preddy (Yam); 5. G. Peterson (Hus). JR VI NT: 1. Anthony LOQuercio (Hus); 2. Jeff lomes (Vam); 3. J. Hilton (Vam); 4. Jason Doty (Yam); 5. Alec Loguercio (Hus). MORN SUP EX; 1. G. Carlsbad Raceway: Mitch Friedman rode to heroic 2-1 moto Rosenbaum (Hon). MORN SUP INT: I. Steve finishes and claimed the first World Championship Gordon (Suz). of his motocross career in the SVRG Husqvarna MORN SUP NOV: 1. A. World Championships In Carlsbad, California. Van Order (Kaw). IRONMAN EVO: I. Vic Balch (Hus). IRONMAN VINT: 1. John leFevre (Hus). The next day, Friedman celebrated the sensational victory in a way that SVR6 New Millennium Series Round 3: Carlsbad Raceway Stidman once again grabbed the holeshot, with Friedman getting a better drive to the first turn this time to run about midpack. UnfortunateIy, as Stidman rolled off consistent laps out front, Friedman engaged in a battle with Chris Wood, who was making his Husky so wide that Friedman could not make a pass. After a desperate, wide-open run over the biggest jump on the course, Friedman was able to just beat Wood into the corner and start after Stidman. "He was pretty far ahead," Friedman said of the leader. "There was this one part of the course where you went down this long straightaway and then made a 180-degree turn and came straight back. I just kept concentrating on that corner, and I could see that every time we came around, I was catching him." Friedman finally did catch Stidman in the last half of the last lap, and kept his concentration up while Stidman appeared to begin making mistakes. When Stidman slipped sideways coming off of one of the final turns, Friedman took a chance and drove to the inside. The two then drag-raced off the corner, with Friedman beating Stidman to the line by less than a wheel to claim the World Championship victory. "This is my first World Championship," a teary-eyed Friedman said. "I was amazed that I won it. I've only raced this bike three or four times. We battled all day long. This place had some really tight sections, which made it challenging, because Huskies don't like to turn. And other than the fact that I had a blown right front fork seal, a blown left rear shock and lost several nuts and bolts, my bike ran flawlessly all day." Afterward, Friedman mumbled something about attempting to return next season to capture all of the World Championship Novice divisions, regardless of the year cutoffs. Instead, Friedman may want to watch out for Stidman, who had blood in both eyes after losing the World Championship, and who wreaked his revenge by blowing Friedman's doors off in the final regular Novice moto. It was, perhaps, little consolation for the gut-wrenching heartbreak and emotional trauma of losing out on World Championship Novice glory. After all, how could Stidman have known how much ink was going to be afforded the winner of the class in the pages of Cycle News? winning the Unlimited World Championship aboard a practically new 1986 Husqvarna 510. And former Baja stud Gene "Don't call me Richard, and don't you dare call me Betty" Fetty topped the rest of his class to claim the Amateur World Championship. Maybe someday both of these poor souls can hope to achieve a rise to fame similar to that of the great Friedman. I:N PACE National Arenacross Series Amateur Racing: San Jose Arena Hodges Dislodges Mason Carlsblod IIIIceway Carlsblod, Califomill Results: March 25, 2010 (Round 31 By SAN JOSE, CA, MAR 10-11 Husqvama Wond Championship Classes PRE·1975 EX: 1. Dwayne Scrivnor (Hus); 2. Tim Nash (Hus). PRE·1975 INT: 1. Keith Sievers (Hus); 2. Gary Egloff (Hus); 3. Rick Wessels (Hus); 4. Steve McClean (Hus). PRE-1984 EX; 1. Vic Balch (Hus). PRE-1984 INT; 1. Rich Velkin (Hus); 2. Chris Wood (Hus); 3. Larry Huff (Hus); 4. J. Prenot (Hus). PRE·1984 NOV: 1. Mitch Friedman (Hus); 2. Pat Stidman (Hus). 125/4-SPD EX: 1. Ed Stovin (Hus); 2. John LeFevre (Hus); 3. Mike Owens (Hus). 125/4-SPO INT: 1. Keith Srykos (Hus). 125/4-SPO AM: 1. Gene Fetty (Hus). (J/L EX: 1. John LeFevre (Hus). SVRG PRE· 1972 250-500 EX: 1. Charlie Richardson (Cl); 2. Ed Stovin (Hus); 3. Mike Owens (Hus). PRE·1972 250-500 INT: I. Gary Egloff (Hus). PRE·1972 250·500 NOV: 1. Gene loQuercio (Ric). cue I e JOHN SILVA S an Jose's Mike Hodges raced his FMF /Good Sports/Spy-sponsored Suzuki to a pair of Over The Hill Gang-class wins as the PACE Arenacross Series visited the San Jose Arena. The "Shark Tank" hosted selected amateur classes during the Pro racing, and the support program was a little different than usual, consisting of a two-day-only program. Consequently, all the racers faced a formidable track, as the amateur rac- n e _ s • APRIL 19,2000 51